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Skateboards and rock take message to Scots children

Substantial feature on a wave of evangelical ministry projects from the United States that have set up in Scotland in the past two years, with some hoping to "re-evangelise" a country where "the people have turned away from God".

Mentions are made of Deeper Skate Church and Overtoun House in Dumbarton, Caledonian Ministries in Stirling, World Baptist Fellowship ministries in Arbroath and Glasgow's Shettleston, King's Kids International in Paisley and Agape Missionary Alliance in Stirling.

David Currie, regional development officer with the Church of Scotland, said that some brands of US evangelism can at times be a "quick fix".

"If they come over here thinking Scotland is a failing Christian nation, they would be wrong. There are a lot of fascinating, fragile Christian communities in Scotland working outside traditional boundaries. It's quite insulting to ministers, priests and other faith leaders to suggest otherwise."

Rev Prof George Newlands, the principal of Trinity College, the University of Glasgow's school of divinity, said: "Problems have arisen when evangelical groups from the US get involved in missionary activity in cultures which they may not fully understand.

"There has been a lot of pressurised evangelism. But it would be quite unfair if all mission groups came under suspicion just because they came from America."

Full story at The Scotsman.